Prima Paint Protection - A Quick How To Guide

[derkaiser94]

Quick questions Zas, I noticed there are two types of Prima Hydro products on your site, the Hydro seal and Hydro spray. What are their differences and which one is this guide referring to? Are the Prima products in the Prima paint protection kit listed the 473ml versions? Lastly, how should Hydro be applied? There doesn't seem to be anything else supplied in the kit for this. Is there a need to wipe of residues for Hydro? I'm looking to make my order over the next few weeks once my new car comes in.

[Caffeine Fiend]

Quick questions Zas, I noticed there are two types of Prima Hydro products on your site, the Hydro seal and Hydro spray. What are their differences and which one is this guide referring to? Are the Prima products in the Prima paint protection kit listed the 473ml versions? Lastly, how should Hydro be applied? There doesn't seem to be anything else supplied in the kit for this. Is there a need to wipe of residues for Hydro? I'm looking to make my order over the next few weeks once my new car comes in.

I can (try to) answer some of these questions until Joel (ZAS) comes along

The guide refers to Prima Spray, which is supplied as part of the paint protection kit. The Epic, Amigo, and Hydro spray are 473ml bottles.

Re the differences between the Hydro Seal product and the Hydro Spray, my understanding is that the Seal is a full sealant product, like the Epic, supplied in the kit. So Hydro Seal vs Epic is probably a fairer comparison, than Hydro Seal vs Hydro Spray (again my understanding).

From an application point of view, both are 'wipe on' type products. Epic is easier and more forgiving, and probably a better place to start, hence why it's probably in the kit instead of Hydro Seal (speculating here).

Here's a vid on the application of Hydro Seal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGNSE...e_gdata_player

Epic, by contrast is left on the surface as a haze to cure and then buffed off with a microfiber towel. It takes longer, but is less fussy than Hydro Seal in how much you apply to get best results.

In terms of longevity, and Joel can correct me if I'm wrong here, but I believe the Hydro Seal lasts slightly longer than the Epic, but how long either lasts is dependent on how the car is cared for after application (eg how the car is stored, how it's washed etc).

The Hydro Spray, in the context of paint protection, is a wax-based 'booster' product meant to top up pre-existing sealant. Good to use once a month or so after washing. It's a spray on wipe off product and is effectively a quick detailer that includes some protectant properties to provide some short-term protection. You effectively just spray it on and wipe off straight away with the microfiber towel provided in the kit.

If you haven't found it in his site already, Joel has quite an informative detailing library set up also

http://www.zas.com.au/detailing_library.php

Well worth a read.

Here's the section on paint protection/sealants also

http://www.zas.com.au/tutorial/6/Paint_Protection.html

Hope this helps

Dan






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[Yeldarb]

This is proof enough, Dan and Joel are the same people, clones perhaps

[Caffeine Fiend]

^

If I had half of Joel's knowledge and experience I'd be a very lucky person

This is just my understanding. I've not used Hydro Seal before. Only parroting what I've seen and read about it from others' experiences

The paint protection kit though I've had a reasonable amount of experience with, having used it on my car and also several others whom I've done work for


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[derkaiser94]

Thanks Dan. Very helpful! As the kit only supplies 2 cloths, and one will be used to buff off Epic, does that mean Amigo will be applied using the pre-wax Applicator in a similar way to Hydro without a need to wipe off?

[Caffeine Fiend]

Thanks Dan. Very helpful! As the kit only supplies 2 cloths, and one will be used to buff off Epic, does that mean Amigo will be applied using the pre-wax Applicator in a similar way to Hydro without a need to wipe off?

Hi Mate,

The method I use is to use the microfiber applicator for the Amigo glaze (the white microfiber pad supplied), then buff off with a blue microfiber towel. For the Epic, I use the yellow circular foam pad to apply, and the other blue microfiber towel to buff off

Amigo is the glaze/polish, so that goes on first (treat it like any other polish, so apply it, let it dry on the surface to a haze for a few min, then buff off). Work one panel at a time.

Epic is the sealant, so apply that to the entire car over the freshly buffed Amigo polished surface (be sparing with it) leave it to cure on the paint for a min of 8 hrs. Then apply a second layer of Amigo directly over the top of the first (no need to buff off the first layer), the wait another 8 hours or so. Then buff the lot off to show a nice shiny surface. Don't worry if you get Epic on the exterior trim or glass, it's quite friendly towards that. I pretty much use it everywhere on the car except the tyres (inc glass, trim, lights, wheels etc)

When you're buffing off the Epic, it helps to have the Hydro spray handy to help loosen the Epic on the surface while you're buffing off. One or two trigger squeezes per panel as you're going along should be all that's needed, and only if you find areas that the Epic isn't easily buffing off. Ie where you might have been a bit heavy handed with applying the Epic. If you've been light handed with applying the Epic, you shouldn't need much Hydro spay at all.

My recommendation would be to always have one or two extra microfiber cloths on hand regardless. I treat these as more or less a consumable, usually rinsing them out and air-drying them to reuse once or twice before chucking them and going to a new one.

http://www.zas.com.au/product/40/zas...bre_towel.html

Cheers,

Dan


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[ZAS]

Everything Dan has said is correct. The only thing I can say is maybe a summary of how the kit works

1. Polish - you polish with Amigo to prep the surface. Wipe it on with the white applicator, buff off residue with the green cloth. Some people also like to use a yellow foam applicator for Amigo. Your choice.
2. Apply Epic - nice and thin with the yellow applicator to the entire car. You can leave this for hours. Longer the better to ensure it is completely dry. No less than say 45 minutes.
3. Buff off the Epic - if you applied it nice and thin, the residue will fall off with a light wipe. Don't rub stubborn residue hard to try and remove it. This will just mark the paint. Grab the Hydro and give it a couple of sprays and this thicker residue will be easier to remove.

I like to use the Hydro while removing the Epic anyway. Remove the initial part of the Epic residue, spray with Hydro, wipe the rest clean. Repeat each panel. You can use the one towel for this so there is no need for a third towel. By the time you come back and apply Hydro again you would have washed the microfibre. It is always handy to have extra on hand though just in case the microfibre you have gets saturated with residue.

[Caffeine Fiend]

Thanks Joel

I forgot you get the green cloths in the kit too. I have cloths everywhere in the garage

When I buff off the Amigo, I use the short-pile side of the blue cloth initially, and then flip to the long-pile side for finishing

More or less the same result though




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[ZAS]

Exactly. That is why those type of cloths are short and long piles on different sides. So they are more of a "multi-purpose" cloth.